Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, says Nigerians can look forward to a queue-free festive season as his refinery now has the capacity to supply 50 million litres of petrol daily.
Speaking to State House correspondents after meeting President Bola Tinubu on Friday, Dangote said he aims to permanently end Nigeria’s recurring fuel scarcity, a problem he noted has plagued the country since 1972.
“We have removed fuel queues. It’s no longer about depending on imports,” he said.
“We have informed NMDPRA that we can supply 50 million litres every day. Even while servicing our refineries, there are no queues. By God’s grace, fuel queues are now history.”
Dangote also revealed that, for the first time, the refinery is exporting to Europe and the United States, while maintaining a supply chain that covers West Africa.
He added that by February, the refinery will be able to produce 15-20 million litres more than Nigeria’s daily consumption, leaving enough for exports and ensuring stability for domestic manufacturers—especially those in plastics, who previously imported raw materials worth up to $400 million annually.
Targeting the World’s Largest Refinery Status
Dangote disclosed bold expansion plans to make the Dangote Petroleum Refinery the largest in the world by 2028.
The current target is to increase production to 1.4 million barrels per day, surpassing India’s Reliance Refinery, which operates at 1.25 million barrels per day. “We will beat Reliance. We have signed off on it, and piling work begins before the end of January,” he said.
Africa-Wide Fertiliser Supply
On fertiliser production, Dangote said the company aims to produce 12 million tonnes of urea, positioning the plant ahead of top producers in Russia and Qatar.
He noted that while petrol smuggling has reduced, price differences between Nigeria and neighbouring countries still encourage illegal trade. “Our price is about 55 per cent of what neighbouring countries sell. Even with border policing, smuggling continues because of the profit margins,” he added.
Dangote reaffirmed his commitment to making Nigeria and Africa attractive hubs for investment through large-scale industrialisation and reliable energy supply.
